Criticature: "Graveyard of Honor" ("Shin ingi no hakaba")

Peek-a-boo.

In honor (heh) of the stateside release of Takashi Miike’s newest film, I felt compelled to immerse myself in his canon beforehand. For those of you unfamiliar with said auteur’s body of work, just know that it is often disturbing, visceral and—more often than not—masterful, surprising and perversely fun.

The character study: after casually foiling an attempted hit on a crime boss, Rikuo—a dead-eyed dishwasher—is inducted into the gang as an honorary strong man. Yet the mobsters get more than they bargained for when they come to learn just how crazy he really is. Whether he’s raping hostesses at karaoke bars or shooting it out with the police in his underwear, there seems to be nothing the man can’t or won't do. And as Rikuo’s penchant for slow-burn sociopathic mayhem spills back onto his masters, it becomes quite clear that Rikuo has no room for friends in his life. Only the bodies of his enemies—real or perceived—which he leaves stacked at his knees.